I think that your view master model is a good direction. Your shutter could be a slit that exposes the film as it rotates when you press the trigger.
Or the film cartridge could be fixed and the trigger rotates a disk with the slit. This might be interesting in that each shot would have a slightly different perspective.
You are going to have to correlate the width of the slit with the speed of advance by the trigger and the focal length of camera for a proper exposure.

For example, at f16 on a sunny day what radial speed across the slit equals a 1/800 th of a second shutter speed ?

What are thinking as far as a lens ? I do not think that a pinhole will work for your lens in that the trigger mechanism will not yield a slow enough shutter / slit speed.

I'm thinking that you could butcher a holga to prototype your 3 shot film cartridge and trigger.

Do you know how to develop film ? In order to test your prototypes for proper exposure you or someone else will need to. You could prototype in house with black and white, then when the variables seem to have been worked out switch to color.

To complete the view master model maybe you will use E6 film, returned to the user mounted similar to the view master slides, perhaps projected onto a wall by a simple cardboard projector as well.

how about something like the old polaroid 500 portrait camera
3 levers/buttons you push down. each one is a shutter that exposes at 1/60 o r80 o r40 or whatever
the film doesn't need to move at all, u have 3 different cheap plastic meniscus lenses and a little box around
each of the films / lenses like an egg carton.
you push 3 times that's it
send it in to be processed, remove the flm fold it in half and send it back to you
to have the shutter rods pulled out, shutters cocked and 3 more flms installed.
have fuN ( fun project ! )
john

I think that your view master model is a good direction. Your shutter could be a slit that exposes the film as it rotates when you press the trigger.
Or the film cartridge could be fixed and the trigger rotates a disk with the slit. This might be interesting in that each shot would have a slightly different perspective.
You are going to have to correlate the width of the slit with the speed of advance by the trigger and the focal length of camera for a proper exposure.

Lianna, what you have in mind to do is somewhat reminiscent of the Chevet-Wild Endoscopographe. This beast was patented in France -- sorry, I don't have the patent number -- by C.N.R.S. Google will find a few references to it.

It is an SLR with a polaroid back that took six shots -- circular ones, arranged in a circle -- on a sheet of polaroid film. The shutter was cocked and the film advanced -- well, not advanced, positioned for the next shot -- by rotating the back. The shutter was a piece of spring-loaded sheet metal that was released by pressing a trigger.

Ideas for you to steal: the shutter design, cocking shutter by moving the disk that holds the film.

Ideas you don't want to steal: SLR, trigger shutter release with linkage, nearly everything else about the camera. Heavy thing, all metal, was intended to connect to an endoscope.

Lianna, sorry to be devil's advocate here, but if you want something cheap as chips, would not a digital disposable camera be a better option. Analog requires film and processing and printing costs.

Though this is true and you have a point, my project has a lot of conceptual background and research to validate my value proposition regarding the magic of analog and keepsakes, etc. This camera is by no means a replacement of anything digital. Of course I know people will have iPhones on them all the time. But it's a gift. Given to people to choose 3 moments during at event carefully and later receive a memento from the event branded to the event. So yes, you are totally right, but for this project, it relies on being analog.

I can't help you with this project, although, if you're going for very high production runs, it's very possible that a company like Lomography would be champing at the bit to help you out. They obviously know how to make low-fi cameras, and have all the manufacturing contacts. Otherwise, you could maybe talk to some smaller camera companies about partnerships.

I have emailed the Canadian contact for Lomography and am awaiting a reply!

I think that your view master model is a good direction. Your shutter could be a slit that exposes the film as it rotates when you press the trigger.
Or the film cartridge could be fixed and the trigger rotates a disk with the slit. This might be interesting in that each shot would have a slightly different perspective.
You are going to have to correlate the width of the slit with the speed of advance by the trigger and the focal length of camera for a proper exposure.

For example, at f16 on a sunny day what radial speed across the slit equals a 1/800 th of a second shutter speed ?

What are thinking as far as a lens ? I do not think that a pinhole will work for your lens in that the trigger mechanism will not yield a slow enough shutter / slit speed.

I'm thinking that you could butcher a holga to prototype your 3 shot film cartridge and trigger.

Do you know how to develop film ? In order to test your prototypes for proper exposure you or someone else will need to. You could prototype in house with black and white, then when the variables seem to have been worked out switch to color.

To complete the view master model maybe you will use E6 film, returned to the user mounted similar to the view master slides, perhaps projected onto a wall by a simple cardboard projector as well.

There are certainly many here that can help you in that regard.

Charles

For a lens, I'm trying to keep it simple and use a disposable camera lens (this whole project stemmed from the idea to make a super simple and super cheap disposable camera) so if there's an easier way to do this I'm so open to any help.

I could definitely get a Holga and try to hack it.. if I knew what I was doing ahead of time haha.

I do know how to develop film but it's been a while. However, I go to an art university and there's a photo department that can help me out.

You had me until projectors.. I'm confused.

But you have really great insights! I appreciate it a whole lot. If you know any other simpler way to do this that I haven't thought of, please let me know !

how about something like the old polaroid 500 portrait camera
3 levers/buttons you push down. each one is a shutter that exposes at 1/60 o r80 o r40 or whatever
the film doesn't need to move at all, u have 3 different cheap plastic meniscus lenses and a little box around
each of the films / lenses like an egg carton.
you push 3 times that's it
send it in to be processed, remove the flm fold it in half and send it back to you
to have the shutter rods pulled out, shutters cocked and 3 more flms installed.
have fuN ( fun project ! )
john

Okay everyone, this may be it...

What if the camera was almost like 3 mini cameras in one? What I mean by this is the film would be stationary within the camera and there would be 3 lenses and 3 shutters (one for each exposure) like John is saying here. When you click the shutter release button, it releases a guillotine-type shutter (I'd like to laser cut plastic for the guillotine mechanism) and the shutter release button stays down. And again for picture no. 2 and 3. Because this is a gravity shutter, it means that the camera cannot take portrait photos (something that I may be okay with sacrificing). Does anyone foresee any problems with this?